Taco Bell Removes Step Between Applying Sauce to Chips and Eating Them

Taco Bell is launching a new line of tortilla chips in grocery stores, and the packaging will look familiar to fans of the chain. The flavors — and the design of bags that contain the chips — are inspired by T-Bell’s hot sauce packets, reports CNBC.

“Our sauce packets are one of the brand’s most unique aspects and were the natural choice for both the flavors and packaging of our tortilla chips,” Taco Bell chief brand officer Marisa Thalberg tells the network. Three varieties will be available when the chips hit shelves this May. “Classic” chips are seasoned with salt only, while “mild” and “fire” are flavored with peppers and spices. The latter is said to pack the most heat, naturally.

There’s no mention of Doritos in CNBC’s report, but it reads as if these chips could rise as a competitor against the iconic zesty snack brand. That doesn’t mean Taco Bell will be giving its Doritos Locos Tacos the boot.

“There are no plans to replace the Doritos Locos Tacos shells with these chips flavors,” a company spokesperson tells Eater. “We’ve developed many successful products working with Frito-Lay, like the Doritos Locos Taco and Beefy Crunch Burrito. However, these tortilla chips were not a collaboration. We wanted to create tortilla chips that stood out as uniquely Taco Bell, in both their sauce packet flavors and packaging.”

Update: March 22, 2017, 2:17 p.m.

This article was updated to include comments from a Taco Bell spokesperson.

• Taco Bell Will Soon Be Selling Tortilla Chips Inspired by Its Sauces, but Only at Grocery Stores [CNBC]
• Taco Bell Threatens Nation With Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos [E]
• All Taco Bell Coverage [E]